Wide-bandgap semiconductor devices are based on a semiconductor material with a bandgap of at least 2 eV or at least 3 eV and allow for lower on-state resistance, operation at high temperatures, lower switching losses and lower leakage currents compared to conventional silicon-based semiconductor devices. Semiconductor devices based on wide-bandgap materials may include transistor cells with stripe-shaped trench gate electrodes that control transistor channels in only one of two opposite longitudinal mesa sidewalls of mesa portions formed from the semiconductor material between neighboring trench gate structures.
It is desirable to improve device characteristics of SiC semiconductor devices with trench gates and to further expand the range of applications for such devices.